A Second Chance
by BadWolfIsMe
Summary: Sequal to Moving On. The Doctor takes Rose, Jack and Jamee to New Earth, but who is killing all the inhabitants of the once happy New New York? And can the Doctor help this time?
1. NEW New Earth

**okay... another story up for y'all!**

**just a little sequal to Moving On, inspired by **totaly.doctor.who**'s request for a sequal. hopefully this'll have as good response as it's base.**

**i'm gunna try to put more of a plot in this story than i have in previous ones, so hopefully this will work out, dispite my un-brilliance at thinking up plots. but i have one, and hopefully it will work out!**

**please review! let me know how i'm doing! reviews are brilliant! REVIEW!!  
and enjoy!**

* * *

"So ladies," the Doctor declared as Jack, Jamee and Rose walked through the doorway and into the control room, "Where to?!" He was in a good mood, brilliant in fact. Getting Rose back, he had been like this ever since the two of them had stepped into the TARDIS after that little display in the alley. He had been darting around the controls like he was in heaven, even performing little twists and leaps for Jack's amusement when he hit certain leavers and twisted certain knobs.

Rose walked up to the Doctor, so much love shinning through her eyes that Jamee knew she would never walk out again, "I was wondering…. Maybe we could go to New Earth?"

The Doctor grinned, flashing his abnormally-white teeth at his three companions, reached across Rose and pulled just one leaver, sending the TARDIS whirring into action.

"Don't tell me you had already set the coordinates!" Jack laughed once they had all regained their balance. The Doctor's grin merely increased and he flashed a wink in Jack and Jamee's direction.

Before long, the TARDIS landed with a dull 'thump' and a shake that threw all four of them off their feet and lying on their backs on the metal grating of the TARDIS floor.

There was a pause, and then Rose started to laugh, shortly followed by the Doctor who was joined by Jack and before long, the four of them were rolling around the TARDIS floor like maniacs, giggling their heads off.

The Doctor, regaining himself, was the first to get up, holding out a hand to pull Rose to her feet also. Then Jamee pulled herself of the ground. The last to get up was Jack, who was still laughing slightly worryingly. Rose grinned, and walked over, offering him a hand and helping to pull the hysterical ex-Time Agent off the grated panels.

Once Jack had found his feet, Rose bounded back to stand at the Doctors side, making his grin increase even more (if that was possible, which it obviously was!),

"Do you wanna go see where we are?" he whispered in her ear, wanting her to be the first to gaze on the era he had landed in.

Rose looked up at him, both grinning like madmen, then she ran to the TARDIS doors, only pausing once there to be sure that the Doctor was following her. Taking a deep breath, Rose gently prised the door open and stepped out onto a new planet. The sight that met her there was enough to take her breath away.

"That's…different," she declared, looking to the sky. The Doctor followed her gaze and found himself frowning slightly as he agreed that it was, in fact, very different.

"Oh, but it's beautiful!" Jamee whispered as she followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS. Jack was close behind, shutting the door once everyone was out and it was clear that they wouldn't all have to rush back in. Looking up at the sky, Jack nodded his agreement with Jamee, that was certainly beautiful!

.o0o0o

They had been walking for a while now, and still New Earth presented them with no signs of life at all.

"So… where exactly are we?" Rose asked at last, bored of the silence that had swallowed them as they were walking.

"Well… I was aiming for New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York, but I'm not so sure now… oh!" the Doctor replied, stopping at an 'oh' when he noticed a huge, slightly torn and edgy, but still perfectly readable sign that read '_Welcome to New New York!_' Rose grinned and suppressed a small laugh at the Doctors face when he noticed the sign.

"But if this is New York… Where is everyone?" Jack asked, picking up on the theme of the place, despite it's _new_ness.

"Well, exactly." The Doctor agreed, nodding.

"Hold on!" Rose suddenly shouted, picking up her pace to a run. The Doctor followed after a shared glance with Jack, and Jamee wasn't far behind. "Wait," Rose instructed, and Jack and Jamee stopped. The Doctor however merely slowed, and very carefully made his way over to where Rose was crouching.

"Hello," she said, "My name's Rose, what's yours?"

"Rex," came a tiny reply, almost held back, as though it had been taught not to talk. Full stop.

"Hello Rex. And can you tell me, where are your parents?" Rose asked, so softly.

"They took them," Rex's voice took on a hard tone as Rose pressed,

"They? Who are they, Rex?"

"They come in the night, when you think you're safe. We heard They were looking for us, so we fled, people said we'd be safe here, said They couldn't get to us, but They did. They came and we couldn't escape. No-one escapes. Once They decide you're next, there's nothing you can do. You're dead no matter where you run… and running just makes Them mad…" the child began to shake, and the Doctor took Rose firmly by the arms and pulled her gently away.

Jack rushed forward and took Rose from the Doctor, Rose didn't protest, she just stood there, watching. Once the Doctor was sure Rose was alright, he turned back to Rex.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he whispered before placing his hands either side of Rex's scared face, his fingertips just stroking his fur, "Sleep now, Rex, just sleep," Rex fell back, allowing the Doctor to lay his head on the ground, his eyes empty, unseeing.

"What did you do?" Jamee asked, watching over Jack's shoulder.

"He killed him," Rose replied, not looking at the Doctor, instead staring at Rex's cold body.

"Rose, Rex was already dead, to an extent… I saved him. He would have just got colder and madder, and no amount of fur would've kept him warm. Eventually he would've got tired of being cold all the time, and he would begin to take it out on the rest of life, before finally ending his own. Trust me, it's better like this," the Doctor tried to explain. Rose still refused to look at him, but she nodded, accepting that what the Doctor did was right.

He took her back from Jack and held her close as Rose allowed a few stray tears to escape, "I'd forgotten," she whispered, but was silenced by the Doctor, who insisted that it was okay.

Jamee took that moment to step forward, towards Rex's dead form.

"What are you dong?!" the Doctor shouted, noticing the close proximity of Jamee and the child. Jamee didn't reply, instead, she crouched down by Rex and closed his blank eyes. Rose smiled and nodded, and Jack opened his arms for Jamee to fall gratefully into.

"Come on then, lets move," the Doctor said, once he was sure Rose was okay, and Jamee was looking a little better.

Taking Rose's hand in his own, the Doctor lead the group away from Rex's final laying place, and towards…well…they didn't know.

.o0o0o

"But, Doctor," Jamee asked after a while of more walking, "What _was_ Rex? I mean, he wasn't exactly human!" no, his fur had been a bit of a give-a-way that he wasn't 'exactly human'.

"He was a cat," Rose replied, simply. Jack and Jamee exchanged a familiar, confused look, before realising that they had pulled behind the other two and had to jog to catch up again.

"Yes, he was a cat. But a more important question is… who are _They_?" the Doctor asked, slowing as his mind tried desperately to work out exactly who They were.

"More cats?" Jack suggested, but that idea was rebuffed by Rose, who shook her head.

"No, I don't think They were cats… True, last time I was here they had a bit of a sticky history, but why would cats be killing other cats? And in such a brutal manor. And the Doctor said that They would've eventually sent poor Rex mad, no cat could achieve that just by killing… whoever They are, they must have some serious technology!" Rose looked at the Doctor as in for confirmation, when he gave none, Rose just shrugged and continued walking, still holding his hand tightly in her own.

"Whoever They are… what d'you recon Their motive is? What do they want? Cuz They must want something pretty big to go round killing everyone like this," Jamee suggested, also turning to the Doctor, but he still didn't reply. Whether he had a reply or not, that remained to be seen.

"That… or They just like killing people…and cats," Jack replied, "Hang on! I've got it!" Rose and Jamee turned to Jack, excited, "Maybe they can't sing, and are taking it out on the creatures they are tired of being compared to!" Rose and Jamee shook their heads, catching each other's eye.

"Somehow, Jack, I don't think you've got it," Rose almost laughed, but contained it enough to speak in a very patronising manner. Jamee reached out to pat him on the arm, shaking her head all the while.

"Whatever! But when They come after you two to join Their little group don't come crying to me!" all three of them laughed at that, even Jack, once he had been hit on both arms. The Doctor stayed quiet, though, not silent, but quiet enough for Rose to start worrying about him slightly.

"Doctor…" she asked gently, "You alright?" she took his hand again (she had dropped it in order to hit Jack) and squeezed it, almost to reassure him that she was still there.

"I'm always alright," the Doctor replied, firmly. Rose's hand loosened in his grip at the Doctor's harsh words, and he looked down at her, his hard face softening slightly, "I'm fine… I just can't work this out!" he fiddled her fingers until they were linked in his firmly before going back to stare blankly ahead. Rose frowned slightly, not sure how to respond to this.

"We'll get it. Together, the four of us, we'll work it out," the Doctor looked down at his Rose again as she spoke, noticing him watching, Rose looked straight back at him, saying firmly, "You don't have to do this alone." She smiled then, and squeezed his fingers between hers, tightening their grip as she did so.

"And we've still got to think about that." The Doctor added, looking back up at the sky.

"Well, yes, that is a part of the problem I would say," Rose agreed following his gaze.

"What's wrong with it?" Jack asked, he and Jamee also looking up.

"Last time I was here," Rose explained, tearing her eyes off the sky to look at the Doctor's two other companions, "The sky wasn't purple…"


	2. Plans Set In Motion

**ekk! thought i'd uploaded this AGES ago! and in fact, i don't really have an excuse as to why i havent'!**

**arg! this story is giving me a really hard time! and i know exactly where i'm taking it for once! it's just getting there that's proving to be a problem! -well, i use the term _exactly_ very loosely! lol!**

**i would say the next chapter will be alone shortly, but, due to me going back to school on Friday, my internet on my laptop going mental, my usb pen going walkies and the fact that this story is proving VERY difficult, it may not be along so shortly! lol! sorry about that!**

**please review! the more reviews i get, the more i will be inclined to sit at my laptop for however long it takes for this story to come to me, rather than just going on ahead with an easier story's upcoming chapter. if you like / want more, please review! constructive crittism is more than welcome too, as i seem to be a bit mistake prone! lol!**

**enjoy!**

"God! There's just _nothing_ here!" Jamee declared, after what seemed like years of walking.

"We'll find something soon, the Doctor knows what he's doing," Rose reassured her, releasing the Doctor's hand to give Jamee's a comforting squeeze. Jack smiled at the two and jogged a couple of steps to catch up with the Doctor, who was leading the party, allowing Rose and Jamee to fall back a little, talking between themselves.

It was good to hear them talk, for all the actual words were lost, it was nice to have a bit of a break from the constant silence.

"Doctor?" Jack asked, cutting sharply into the Doctor's overwhelming thoughts. He made a noise in the back of his throat that could've passed for 'yeah' but also could've been the Doctor trying to dislodge a piece of food from his gums. Considering none of them had eaten in a while, the first was more likely. Jack opened his mouth to say something else, but seemed to think better of it, instead consisting to walk in more silence.

They turned past yet another corner, and Rose stopped dead. Jamee was the first to realise this, and paused, waiting to see what was up. When Rose didn't say anything, and merely shook her head when Jamee asked, she called over the other two, who came running from their position a little way ahead.

"Rose? You alright?" Jack asked, but Rose didn't answer, couldn't answer.

"Stand back, everyone, stand back!" the Doctor ordered, moving right up to Rose, standing so their noses almost touched and held her head with his fingertips, "Rose, say something," he whispered, "Say something…"

Rose blinked, then seemed to register where she was, although she still looked a little confused when she saw the Doctor's face so close to her own and his hands on either side of her head, "What… what happened?"

The Doctor let go of her head and turned to Jack, who turned to Jamee, who said, "You just, kinda, stopped. Like, I dunno, you were possessed or something…" she trailed off when she realised the attention had turned back to Rose.

"Did you see anything… like a vision or something?" Jamee asked, coming a little closer to her friend.

Rose closed her eyes and shook her head, as though she was trying to rid herself of the memory, "I saw… everything," she looked up at the Doctor and continued in an almost silent voice, "The turn of the earth…"

At hearing that, the Doctor took a sharp step back, as though Rose had stung him,

"But, Doctor, what does that _mean_?" Jack asked, looking furiously between Rose and the Doctor, waiting for an answer,

"It means…" he started, but was interrupted by Rose's

"Run!" Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand and pulled him away. Jack found Jamee in the confusion and grabbed her hand, running to catch up with their friends who had already almost disappeared around another turn.

.o0o0o

"Wait! We've gotta go back!" the Doctor shouted, pulling at Rose's hand but her grip, and her speed, only increased,

"We can't… we go back and we die… we have to keep going!" Rose's voice was very steady considering the speed she was running.

"What about Jack and Jamee! I can't even see them anymore," the Doctor looked back, but was forced to turn around when Rose tugged heavily on his hand, "Rose, they'll loose us!"

Rose slowed a little, "But if we stop… I loose you…" the Doctor looked at her, "We can't stop, we can't go back, we can't help them… they'll be alright, they've got Jack, but all I've got is you…and I _will not_ loose you again!" and then they were running again.

.o0o0o

"Jack!" Jamee shouted, stopping in her tracks and pulling Jack to a halt with her. He turned, a worried expression on his face, "I can't see them anymore," fear struck at Jamee as they walked on to find a crossroad. Rose and the Doctor could've gone any of four ways.

"Ah." Was all Jack could say on the matter. He turned to look at Jamee, who had a similar expression of helplessness on her face, Jack released Jamee's hand to walk up to the centre of the crossroads, not having to worry about being hit because there was nothing to hit them, the city was completely deserted. "So…which way d'you recon they went?"

Jamee walked up to join Jack in the middle and together they turned in slow circles, taking in the possibility of each exit. Eventually, Jamee turned to Jack and said, "I have absolutely no idea! They could've gone anywhere!"

Jack shrugged, and then almost grinned, "We'll have to guess then I suppose," Jamee took in a sharp breath, "You wanna choose or shall I?"

Jamee looked at her companion as if she was trying to decide if he was completely mad or what, "What if we pick the wrong one… and we're stuck here forever cuz Rose and the Doctor decide they don't want us around anymore and leave without us and then whatever it is that's killing everyone here will find us and…and…" all this came out in one long breath, Jack watched, amused, as Jamee seemed to run out of ideas. When she finally stopped for a well-earned breath, Jack took her hand and began to walk down a random road.

"It's a risk we'll have to take," he said, almost cheerfully, "Come on, as the Doctor would say, allons-y!" and he pulled Jamee away from the crossroads before adding, "And do you honestly think they would just leave us like that?!"

Jamee opened and closed her mouth a few times, she couldn't argue with that, she really couldn't see Rose or the Doctor just leaving them behind, especially as this place was so obviously dangerous.

"More walking then!" Jamee joked, causing Jack to actually laugh. He squeezed her hand gently and they went on their way, still laughing although the joke had been long forgotten.

.o0o0o

"Rose! Phone! You're super-phone! We can call them!" the Doctor almost stopped, if it wasn't for Rose's hand tight in his own preventing him from doing that. He practically skipped instead, as he realised that there was a way of contacting Jamee and Jack.

"No, we can't," Rose replied simply.

"But… why not?" the Doctor couldn't understand this – surely Rose wanted Jack and Jamee safe just as much as he did?

Rose almost stopped herself, her eyes fixed firmly on the ground as she replied, "I threw it away."

"Why…?" he breathed, his one hope of finding the others, or at least knowing where they were, gone. Because his Rose had thrown away her phone.

"Because the only person I wanted to ring me on it was you… but the only people who ever _would_ ring me on it was my mum and Toby, neither of which I want to speak to!" the Doctor was slightly taken aback by that, she threw away a phone simply because he wouldn't ring her on it?! Maybe Jamee was right, maybe he shouldn't have brought her with them, maybe she was going mad, "I'm not mad, Doctor," he jumped at that too, how had she known he was thinking that?!

"Never said you were," and they continued walking in silence. Hands still tightly linked.

The sun rose, after what felt like an eternity of walking, but rather than warming up the New Earth, it somehow seemed to make the two people walking across the planet much colder.

The Doctor looked down at Rose's shaking form, concern lifting in his eyes. As if noticing him looking, Rose looked back up at the Doctor, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

He frowned, and shrugged off his coat, releasing Rose's hand just for a moment.

"You'll get cold…" she whispered, as he passed it to her without a word,

"I'm a Time Lord, we can go for much longer in much colder conditions than this without so much as a shiver," he shrugged in way of an explanation.

From Rose's expression, it was clear she didn't believe him, but she took the coat anyway, holding it tightly around her with one hand, while the other sought out his again.

The Doctor grinned to himself as he felt Rose's frantic shivering die down a little, and he stole himself a glance at her. He had to admit, it wasn't her best look. The brown material was too long for her, and trailed along the floor as she walked, the sleeves fell over her hands, completely covering them.

She noticed him looking and said, jokingly, "It's a good job you're skinny!"

They laughed then, loud and clear. The first proper laugh they had shared in ages. Suddenly, all the worries either had about this planet and the other two disappeared until all was left was the Doctor and Rose, laughing like they used to.

It was a long time before their frantic laughter died down, and an even longer time before Rose noticed just how much the Doctor was shivering. She released his hand, only to pull hers around his thin form. She noticed how he seemed to move into the warmth of her own body when he happily moved his own hand to rest at her waist. He was like ice under her hand, she could feel ever goosebump along his side and his hand was freezing on her own, even through the large, brown trench coat she was wearing.

"You're cold," she whispered, as close to hugging him as she could get without actually stopping or turning around.

The Doctor shook his head, "I can go longer than this in temperatures…" but he was cut of,

"No, Doctor. I don't care about your physiology right now. I'm here and I'm telling you – you're cold." He shook his head, but didn't argue, he knew it would be pointless. Either way, he knew she was right. It went against every cell in his body, but he was cold. Freezing, in fact. And he had no idea why.

Rose watched him carefully, trying to give him as much of her body heat as possible. She didn't go to remove the coat, she couldn't. Her own heat, and quite possibly life, depended on it now. It hurt her so much, to watch her Doctor freeze on New Earth, but there was nothing she could do. And that hurt more than anything.

So they kept walking.

Suddenly, the Doctor stopped.

"Doctor! No, Doctor! Don't stop! We can't stop yet! We've got to keep moving! It's not safe here!" Rose begged, pulling on his hand with both of hers, trying to make him move, "Come on, Doctor! Don't give up on me! We're nearly there, so nearly there! Please!"

The Doctor just stood there, blank, unseeing eyes staring straight ahead, oblivious to Rose's pleads.

Frantic, Rose began looking around, unwilling to turn her back on any direction, for fear that They might be lurking behind her back. Her eyes scanned all around them, looking for something, anything, although she knew she wouldn't be able to see Them, even if They did show.

The Doctor shivered, his half-open eyes closed and he fell in a crumpled heap onto the cold ground.

Fear struck at her heart but there was nothing Rose could do other than "Doctor!"

.o0o0o

"Are we there yet?"

"I don't know! It all looks the same!" Jack replied for the umpteenth time.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"I don't know!"

They had been walking for far too long, and Jack wasn't liking what it was doing to Jamee. They hadn't stopped yet, maybe that was it, but for some reason Jack didn't want to stop, not for anything, he wanted to keep moving, keep going _they can't get us if we're moving_, was his irrational thinking. He knew this was probably stupid, but it kept him going, kept him pulling on Jamee's hand to keep her going, all the while she was muttering, "One step closer to the Doctor."

"Are we…"

"What do you think!" Jack snapped, silencing his companion and friend. He didn't like to be like that, but she was driving him mad with her questions!

"Sorry," she whispered, "It's been a long time since I've walked this far."

Jack nodded, he felt the same way. _We all have different ways of coping_, he thought, but still, he was pleased when Jamee fell into silence.

Well, silence until the moment she screamed.

"What?! What is it?!" Jack ran back from where he had been, about three paces ahead of Jamee.

Jamee didn't, or couldn't, reply, instead, she raised a shaking hand and pointed to a heap on the floor. Jack went to move towards it, but a sharp hissing sound stopped him in his wake.

"Was it you?" the hissing continued, but words were clearly audible through it, "Well? Was it?"

"What…? Was what us?" Jamee asked, crouching down only to stop half way as a sweeping paw with claws clearly in view came within an inch of scratching her face.

"Did you do it? Did you kill them? Was it you?" the cat hissed, moving into the light. Jamee started back at the sight of it's matted, blood-stained fur and red, tired eyes, "It _was _you, wasn't it! It was your fault!"

"No! My name is Jamee, I can help you, what's your name? I can help!" Jamee tried, backing away as the cat crawled closer to her,

"Lies!" it hissed, "Always, everyone, all liars! Don't lie to me! I've had enough of people who lie!"

"Who is it?! Who's been lying to you?! Tell me! I promise I can help!" Jamee was getting scared at the proximity of the cat, it's foul stench filling her nose and drowning her senses.

"You took them… Maybe now I can get some peace…" the hissing reached maximum and the cat leaped into the air, Jamee screamed as it's claws reached out for her face and neck. She knew she was going to die. _A life with the Doctor, fighting aliens on a daily basis, and I'm gunna be killed by a psychotic cat! Life isn't fair!_ She thought, closing her eyes and waiting for the contact. But none came. Instead, a loud gun-shot sounded and a strong hand gripped her shoulder.

Jamee slowly opened her eyes to see the cat, lying dead on the ground, a small bullet hole straight through it's heart, drenching it in more blood. She looked up to see Jack holding a gun tightly in his right hand, his other resting on her shoulder. He looked down at Jamee, before offering her his hand and pulling her to her feet.

Jamee looked at him briefly, before walking over to the cat. She hesitated, but brought her two fingers to his eyes, closing them for the last time. Jack watched as she did this and nodded with approval at her actions as she came back.

"I had to…" he began as way of explanation, but she raised a hand to stop him,

"It was the kindest thing. The Doctor was right, they're mad!" he offered her his left hand, his right still clutching the gun tightly. She took it without hesitation and together they continued to walk on, not looking back, but both on edge for another cat, another attack.

.o0o0o

"Come on Doctor, please get up!" Rose begged, she knew it wasn't much use, but she couldn't help but plead with his unconscious form. Even now she still expected him to get up any minuet, still expected him to save them. But she knew he wouldn't. Knew he couldn't.

"Rose…?" a moaning voice sounded from the form lying on the ground. Rose had managed to pull the Doctor to the side of the road he had fell in, sheltering him in a doorway of an abandoned shop. _Hopefully_, she had thought, _he'll be safe there_. She knew this was a fruitless hope, but she still managed to feel a little more comfortable than she did in the middle of the road.

"Oh my god, Doctor!" she practically yelled, moving even closer to him than she had been, if that was possible, "You scared me! Are you alright?"

The Doctor groaned, and moved his head so he was facing Rose, "Shhh! Be quiet!" he complained, shaking his head at the noise Rose was making.

She bowed her head and covered her face in her hands, unable to comprehend how grateful she was that he was alright… or at least _alive_! "Are you alright though?!" she asked again. _Please let him be alright! Oh my god! Let him be alright!_

He nodded, and then shook his head straight after. In all honesty, he didn't know if he was alright or not, he wasn't even sure what had happened to him, "My head!" he moaned, trying to bring a hand up to clutch it in anguish, but found himself unable to move.

"Doctor!" Rose whispered, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. She brought her own hand up to cradle his head, while the other clutched at his, holding him tightly to her.

He nodded weakly against her arm, "That's me," both smiled slightly and Rose bent over slightly, just brushing his forehead with her lips.

He tried to sit up, and with Rose's help and a lot of patience, he eventually managed to sit almost straight, his back resting on the frame of the closed and barred door. he grinned at Rose, who leant against the door next to him, panting, but grinning back.

"You're alright!" she whispered, still happy with that fact. He may be weak, he may not be supposed to collapse like that, they may be sat on the surface of an abandoned planet, with invisible monsters lurking in the shadows, but he was alright. And for a moment, one glorious moment, Rose allowed herself to feel safe, as she pulled herself into his arms and held onto him like a lifeline. She smiled slightly against his jacket – which she had removed from herself and replaced on him shortly after he had collapsed – when he hugged her back, and for a while they sat like that, both exhausted from pulling the Doctor into a sitting position, but both grinning like mad at the fact that they were alive.

After a while, Rose reluctantly released the Doctor, who equally reluctantly let his arms fall back to his sides. "Can you stand?" Rose asked, gingerly pulling herself to her feet and turning to face the Doctor.

"I don't… I don't know." He admitted, taking the hand Rose reached out for him. Together they managed to pull the Doctor to his feet, and he was left, panting, half leaning on the doorframe and half leaning on Rose.

"Lean on me, that's it, just lean on me and we'll get you out of here," gently, Rose coaxed the tired Time Lord into releasing the doorframe and putting almost all his weight on her. She tucked her arm underneath his and held him upright, his arm linked around her neck to steady himself, "There we go, just one step, that's it…"

"You make me sound like a baby!" Rose smiled at the Doctor's comment,

"My baby!" she joked, ruffling his hair with her fee hand. Ignoring his mock-scowl, Rose continued to baby-talk him until they were standing together in the middle of the deserted road.

"So, which way?" he panted, exhausted by that. He didn't notice that Rose was shivering again, but, to be fair, neither did she.

"Um…" she murmured, twisting her head to either side so she could work out where they had come from where they were going – not an easy task since the same deserted, run down shops littered both directions, putting vision at a minimum. She teetered on going one way and then changed her mind and began to walk, still supporting the Doctor, down the other way, following the road, "This way… I think…"

.o0o0o

"Look! What's that?" Jamee suddenly declared, standing completely still and shading her eyes against the sun.

"Jamee, don't…" _stop…_

"No, but look! I think it's them! Look!" Jack followed her gaze, his eyes sweeping the landscape in the direction she was pointing, "It _is _them! It's the Doctor and Rose, look!"

Jamee unlinked her fingers from Jack's and ran towards the figures that were slowly climbing up the hill, shouting and waving.

"Hang on!" Jack yelled, running to catch up with his companion, "Jamee wait!" together, they slowed to a walk, "Look…" he pointed to the figures in the distance. They were now close enough that they could make out the way one was leaning heavily on the other, walking with a slight limp.

"Oh my god!" Jamee breathed, "But which one…?"

She looked to Jack, who shook his head. Again, Jamee released Jack's hand and continued to run up the slope, Jack close on her heels, no longer trying to stop her.

"Rose! Doctor!" he yelled, grabbing Jamee's hand as he caught up with, and overtook her.

From a way away, Rose heard a familiar voice calling her name, she looked up to see to figures running up the hill towards them, "Jamee! Jack! Oh my god, help me!" she shouted, waving her free hand and allowing the Doctor to slip from her grip a little, "Look, Doctor, look! They found us!"

He raised his head slightly, just enough to catch Rose's eye and give her a weak smile, "Never doubted them for a moment," he whispered, increasing Rose's smile. _How have I lived without that smile?_ he thought, and then he fainted. Again.

.o0o0o

"What is it? What's wrong?" Jamee called, pulling herself to a halt and grabbing the Doctor's other arm as Rose tried to heave him off the ground. She just shook her head in response, concentrating on getting the Doctor off the ground.

"Hey… what kept you?!" the Doctor's weak voice called.

"It's alright, Doctor, we've not got far to go now and then we can all catch up. Just a little further now, lean on me, that's it," Rose coaxed, and between them, Jamee and Rose managed to get a half-conscious Doctor to his feet, and then they were walking again.

"Where are we going?" Jamee asked, puffing slightly under the strain of the Doctor's weight. Rose didn't answer straight away, instead choosing to point with her free hand towards a tall, silvery building standing some way ahead of them. It was run down, like the rest of the city, but it wasn't beyond repair, and it wasn't as bad as most places, "What is it?"

"Some kind of hospital?" Jack offered, looking to Rose, not the Doctor, for confirmation.

Rose nodded, "See that green sign on the side? Universal sign for hospital," she allowed herself a small smile as she recited words the Doctor had told her last time they visited New New York, "We went there last time, hopefully the cat-nuns have sorted the place out a bit since," again, she smiled. She couldn't remember most of her visit to the hospital, thanks to the unwelcome Cassandra in her head, but she had got a pretty good welcome from her Doctor when the evil slab of skin had eventually left her, "But we should be safe there…. For a while."

So together, the four of them made their way to the old hospital, the Doctor being supported by the two women, Rose on his right and Jamee on his left, while Jack brought up the rear, his gun still out and at the ready. Rose kept shooting him glances, they all knew what the Doctor thought about guns, and Rose found herself agreeing with his belief that killing should only be the very last resort. Nonetheless, she didn't ask him to put it away.

.o0o0o

"Are we there yet?"

"Jamee, shut UP!!" both Jack and Rose yelled, sending Jamee into silence.

"Thank you!"

A rustling sound came from somewhere behind them, and all of the procession (not counting the Doctor, as he was still only just conscious) were suddenly on alert. Jack held out his gun in front of him, looking around for a target until Rose gently touched him on the arm.

"We don't need innocent people dead," she said softly. He could've argued, he could've said 'there are no innocent people on this planet any more', but the look on Rose's face and the way Jamee was carefully shaking her head made Jack keep his opinion to himself. He lowered his arm, but he didn't put the gun down, and he remained ready to shoot at a seconds notice.

Another rustling. This time it was from a completely different direction. With a sickening feeling in their guts, the four of them realised that if they didn't want an audience with Them, they would have to get a move on.

Another rustling, closer this time.

"Run!" Rose shouted, but non of them really needed telling.

The four of them fled the space they had previously occupied, the Doctor being practically dragged through the abandoned city by the girls.

.o0o0o

Finally, they reached the doors of the hospital. Jack quickly motioned for Jamee and Rose to move out of the way, taking the Doctor with them. In one fluid motion, Jack had swapped his small, handheld gun for a sonic blaster and in another, he had shot the door, leaving it wide open for the girls to take the Doctor inside. He took one last look around before climbing in after them and replacing the hole he had made in the door with another sonic blast.

"Jack!" at Rose's shout, Jack moved from the door to kneel by Rose and Jamee, both of whom were watching the Doctor with the same worried concern painted on their faces. Nervously, Jack turned to look at the Time Lord where he had been laid on the ground, and the sight he was greeted with nearly made him sick.


End file.
